Electric-lighting system.



W. S. MASON.

ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE28. 191s.

Patented July 23, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1- W. S. MASON.

ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FlLED JUNE 28. 1915.

1 ,27 3 ,258. Patented July 23, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

,. tion.

subject of Great Britain,

WILLIAM s. Mas'oitjor 'iri rrrmnn, NEW YORK.

asaccarammme SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent d July 23, 1918.

Application filed June as, 1915. SerialNoJfiGfiQb.

i o all 'may concern:

Be it'l'r'iiown that I, WILLIAMS. Mason, a w residing at Mayi county of Fulton, and State of New eZprk, have invented certain new and assful Improvements in Electric-Lighting Systems, of which the following is a specifica- The invention fifelates to such improveexecute and consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and. "subsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the a'c'conipanydrawings, and the reference characters anarlred thereon, which form a part of this specification. Similar characters refer to :similar parts in the-severalfigures therein.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a diagrammatic view of my improved electric-lighting system, showing a top plan view of the swltch mechanisrr; with the cover ofthe switch-box removed.

7 side view of the switch-box.

ig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the system shown in Fig. 1, showing a botflgl "plan view of the switch-box.

nig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the switchlever and the switch-plates mounted thereon.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the same taken on the broken line 5-5 in Fig. 4 through one of the switch-plates;

- The invention applies particularly to electric-lighting systems for automobiles or similar vehicles "of electric lamps.

provided with a dynamo (or magnet0'), and also with an electric battery, from either of which sources a supply of electricity can be obtained for a plurality In automobiles so provided the voltage .of the electric current from the dynamo is ordinarily much greater than, and in substantially multiple ratio to, the voltage of the current from the battery; and with lighting-systems heretofore employed in such automobiles, it has been impossible to use interchangeably for operating the electric lamps the current from the battery and the currentfrom the .dynamo. i

Theprineiplal object ofthe present inven ion i 9 pro ide means h reby lecbe operated interchangeably "battery, or by a dynamo, the voltage of the "current from which is in substantially multiple ratio to the voltage of the current from trio lamps "of an automobile,

by an Grease the battery.

In carrying out my invention I employ a plurality of electric lamps of substantially the same resistance, whose total resistance bears to their individual resistance the same ratio that the voltage of the currentfrom the dynamo bears to the voltage of the cur rent from the battery; and I provide means for connecting said lamps, at will, either in series with the dynamo or in parallel with the battery.

Referring to the drawings wherein the invention is shown in preferred form, and more or less diagrammatically, 1 and 2 are a pair of incandescent electric lamps of substantially the same voltage; 3 is an electrio-battery, which may be of any known form, preferably a storage-battery or a dry battery, the voltage of the current from which battery corresponds with the resistance of the individual lamps, 1 and 2, and 43: is a dynamo (or magneto), the voltage of the current from which is twice that of the voltage of the current from the battery. 3, the voltage of the dynamo thus corresponding with the total resistance of both lamps, l and 2.

I have shown in the drawings a preferred form of switch-mechanism for carrying out my invention comprising in part a box, 5,

- and 18.

Certain of-these switch-contacts are electrically connected with one another by wires on the back of, or beneaththe bottom of, the switch-boxfas follows, as shown in Fig. 3:

or the like, can

Switch-contact, 11, with switch-contact,

V 12, by Wire, 19; switch-contact, 13, with switch-contact, 17, by wire, and switchcontact, 14, with switch-contact, 15, by wire, 21. I V V The switch-contact, 10, is connected by wire, 22, with one pole of the dynamo, the

with ground at 25.

The switch-contact,1=8-, is connected with;

ground at 26.

ires;-;27, connect thez-terminalsrof the .v lamp, 2, respectively with :theqswitch-conr tacts, I 12 and v 13, and :wire, 28, connects the .-;sWitcl1-c0ntact, 15, wit-hone terminal of; the

lamp, 1, j-the other terminal, thereof being 1 connected with ground at 29;

comprises, a- -,switch-lever, -30, pivotally ,-mounted; at 31 upon the :bottom Off the 4,,25 switch-boxand; adapted to play withinand vjproject out throughthe' slot, 8, its eproj ecting tend! forming a t-handle.

, I The.switch-lever,30, 1s 1 formed ofc-in-' sulating material .and carries a pair. v of ;switch -plates,' 32 and 1 33, arranged "on posite sides of its pivot, 31. r

.The-switch contacts are sozarranged in groupsrthat in zone extreme position ofthe f switch leyer, the.switcheplates, 32- and 33, p *35 j necessary-1 switch-contacts to connect 1 "the s electrically connect with one another the lamps, 1 land 2, inseries with the dynamo, Qand in theotherextreme position of'the switch-lever, said -switchl-plates, 32 and 1 33,v =1 relectrically connect I with one another the necessary switch-contacts to connect the .lamps,

1 and 2, in parallel with the bat Thus'whenthe switch-lever is inits extreme position. at the=-left,'indicated by-dot- -tedilines, 30 in Fig. 1, the switch' contacts,

10 and 11, are connected together by -switch- .plate, 32, and theswitch-contacts, 13 and 14,, areconnected! together by the switch plate, 33, the cur-rent -thuspassingfrom'the dynamo through vwire, 22, -toswitch-contact,

10, ;thence through -switchplate, 32, to

' =switch-contact,11,-thence through wire,- 19,

\ to switch-contact, 12, thence through wires, 27,, and lamp, 2, to switch-contact, 13,thence through;;switch plate, 33, to. switch contact, 14, thence'through Wire, 21, to switch-con- ,tact,11 5, thence. through wire,,28-,:1andlamp, 1-, to ground at 29,

When the. switch-lever is its othereirtreme position at a the right, '2 indicated by .dotted lines,v 30h, in {F.ig. 1-1-,:-theswitch-con- -;-tact,.-,;1.6,gis jeonnected by switch-plate, -32,

" lamp can :be' disconnected.

switch-contact, 17, connected by switch plate, 33, with switch-contact, 18, the current thus passing from thebattery, 3, through wire, 24, to switch-contact, 16, and thence in parallel through switche'plate, 32, to switch-contacts, 12 and 15, the divided current'then passing from switch-contact, 15,

through wire, 28,- and lamp, 1, to ground at 29, and from switch-contact, 12, through wires,- 27 and lamp, 2, to switchcontact, 13, thence through wire, 20, to switch-contact,

l7, thence through switch-plate, 33, to

with 1 the resistance offered by the lamps.

p The 'lamps 'can thus'b'e operateddronithe dynamo, while the"engine of theautomobile 1s running, and the lamps are'in' proper con- The operat ng-mechanism or the switch 'dition. M

hen the engine is not running,":both

lamps, if in proper-"condition, canffbe opr, erated from the battery ,while, iff'either one only of the" lamps is out of orderjoiifbroken, the other can, nevertheless, be operated vfrom- :the battery; or when the car is'standing 'idle,

oneonly of the'l'amps embe eperatea the battery :as 'asignal light',-'while the other i What I claim"asnew and by Letters Patent is:

In anelectricdighti ng system-and in com- 'bination, a pair 0f -electric*la1nps ofsubstantially equal= resistance'y'a dynamoof a voltage-capacity corr espond-ing""with the combined resistance ofboth" lamps, one ter-' .minal of: said dynamo being connected with desire to secure I ground; "a battery of a voltagebapacitycor responding with the resistance of i the individual lamps, one terminal of th'e "battery being connected with ground; amt switch mechamsm{having acon'tactbonnected wlth -theotherterminalof said-dynamo, a contact connected withthebther trniinatbf said ba'ttery, a contact connected with one terminal of one{of' said-lampa a con tact" connected with 'the other-terminal of whereby: in" one position-of the -Inovable member its said f 'c'ont'a'ct connectedwith ground: is 3alsorconnectedwith one ot the contacts in connection"with-said; first- -mentioned -lamp',== and" the contaet con-' :nected with the battery :is also connected with; the contacts respectively in connection with the second-mentioned lamp and-the other terminal of: the first mentioned and "in "another "r position of said movable said lamp, a-contact-'connecteduvith oneter Y minal of the other lamp, the other'terini'nal wot said; lastn'1entioned lamp being "conswitch-member the contact in connection contact in connection With the second-men- With the dynamo is also connected with the tioned lamp. contact in connection With one terminal of In testimony whereof I have hereunto set the first-mentioned lamp, and the contact my hand this 18th day of June, 1915.

5 in connection With the other terminal of the first-mentioned lamp is connected with the WILLIAM S. MASON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

